Warp Series 03: The Brink of Halcyon
by Jax Malcolm
Summary: (Surprise! Episode 23 complete) Warp is back in a brand new season! Danger and darkness looms ahead when Keios takes control of a powerful group of shifters...
1. Prelude: Refresher

Disclaimer: I don't own Bill (and because of that, I had to dispose of the leash...) or anything else Pokémon related, save for original characters/places/etc. such as Ziggy, Jude, High Rise Circle, and pretty much anything else you've never seen in the anime. ^_^;  
  
Foreword: This is just another prelude (like the one done before season two) to remind you of what had happened in the past season. It's not necessary, but it's convenient for those of you who are too lazy to go back and reread the second (or first AND second, depending on who you are) seasons. If you HAVEN'T read either season yet, stop right now and go do so. Trust me, it's better to read the real thing, rather than a spoiler happy reminder. ^_^;  
  
***  
Prelude--  
Refresher  
  
It had been a year since the freak accident that gave Pokémon researcher Bill McKenzie the ability to shift. And after the explosive battle against his friend-turned-arch-enemy Nathan "Loki" Lokov, he had taken a break, only to have it cut after a month by the enigmatic Zero, who had only wished to warn him of things to come. And yet, this hadn't daunted our hero... Well, at least it hadn't daunted him to the point of giving up his powers and the responsibility with them.  
  
It was during a routine shift when his own sister, Judith (preferably called Jude), discovered Bill's secret. With this information in mind, Jude travelled to her brother's lighthouse after the shift was over, only to confront him about it to determine if it was, in actuality, true, and demanding to stay and help, intending on doing something important for a change. Unable to refuse her, Bill allowed Jude to join Warp.  
  
Then enter Ash Ketchum, Pokémon trainer extraordinaire (or so he claims). He had only entered the lighthouse to have a place to stay for the night, but it wasn't long before he, too, discovered Bill's secret. And the quirky thing is, Bill found out that Ash was meant to be a shifter himself.  
  
And so, Ash Ketchum became part of Warp as a shifter watched over by Jude with her new COM device and link gear. He, too, learned how to control when he shifted out and, otherwise, used his new power to help people, just like Bill had been doing all along.  
  
All the while, Antiwarp, led by Dr. Lilith Crocus, planned to destroy Warp by eliminating the only known living member, Bill. Their attempts had proven just how dangerous the future was for our heroes, and still, Warp remained one step ahead of Antiwarp, especially thanks to Apollo and Artemis, the shifter-watcher team that later joined Warp as well, in accordance to a mysterious prophecy.  
  
As the end of the season began drawing near, Bill was sent off on one final quest to prepare himself for the future -- a quest to become a shifter master. And so, as the others attempted to finish shifts and protect the lighthouse alone, the Prime (as he had been called) journeyed to Mt. Silver where Red, one of Zero's followers, awaited to help him become a shifter master after passing a small test to prove that Bill was indeed worthy to gain complete control over his powers, allowing him to reach his full potential.  
  
Then came a violent battle -- the final battle against Antiwarp. The group came in three waves -- the first being completely shifters fighting against the small team of Warp and the second being an army of normal agents, all with Pokémon to fight Warp's shifters. The third, however, came in the form of Dr. Crocus herself, who had undergone a startling transformation, thanks to a deformed Cosmos Stone called the Hell Stone. Her strength was indeed formidable, but she was then defeated by Zero and, of course, Bill.  
  
Impatient with her failures, Keios, Crocus' "employer," drained Crocus of her energy and took back her Hell Stone before taking over a new group, High Rise Circle.  
  
And so, the second season ended with a bang, and Warp had taken yet another rest, unwary of the activities of the new High Rise Circle.  
  
And thus, season three begins... 


	2. Once Upon a Time

Foreword: This is the suspended episode originally intended on season two. I wound up having to rewrite it to fit season three, and that explains why it wasn't up any sooner. Sorry about that. ^_^;  
  
By the way, yes, when I came up with this episode, I had a lot of things on my mind. The Sailormoon episode with the explanation of the Moon Kingdom (can't remember the episode title at this point), the Digimon Frontier prophecy, et cetera...  
  
***  
Episode 21--  
Once Upon a Time  
  
It seemed as if everything went back to normal at last. This was, to everyone's relief, especially one girl's for one specific reason...  
  
"Thank god I don't have to clean up after the Pokémon anymore!" Jude sighed happily upon hearing that her brother would take up some of his former duties, such as taking care of the Pokémon, again.  
  
"Oh, you'll still be cleaning the Pokémon's quarters, young lady," Bill replied as he put a hand on her head and bent down a little so that his head was level with hers. "It's a good method of teaching self-discipline. If you work hard and focus now on little jobs like this, and you'll be prepared for the hard work and harshness of the real world later on in life."  
  
He smirked and straightened up before letting go of her and walking out of the room.  
  
'Like he really knows about the harshness of the real world,' Jude thought. 'He didn't HAVE to go job hunting to find a job with a lot of friggin' zeroes in the paycheck.'  
  
She made a physical response by pulling down her eyelid.*1*  
  
"And don't think I don't know you're pulling your eyelid down at me, young lady!" Bill called from the other room.  
  
She let go of her eyelid and thought, 'Damn, he's good.'  
  
~~~  
  
Night came quickly. It was a cool, summer*2* night when the stars sparkled in the deep, black-blue heavens beside the Cheshire Cat's lopsided smile.*3* All was calm, all was quiet, even in the lighthouse. Ziggy was in sleep mode. Jude slept, dreaming of punk boys in black with tattoos up their arms. Apollo dreamt of his travels, mentally revisiting each town he went through and fighting his past opponents. Artemis dreamt of stranger things, from dancing mushrooms to rabid sock puppets. Even Ash was fast asleep beside Pikachu, dreaming of food and winning Pokémon battles... respectively.  
  
In yet another room, the master bedroom, Bill sighed deeply, set aside the book he was reading (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*4*), and turned off the light on the small nightstand beside his bed. He sunk down until he was flat on his back and stared at the ceiling for a bit before closing his eyes.  
  
That's when he heard her. In the void he now saw, her voice floated into his mind, mixing with the beginning of a dream.  
  
"Come to me..."  
  
He knew it was Zero. She wanted to speak with him, but about what and how urgent were questions fresh in his mind.  
  
"Shift and come to me," Zero beckoned.  
  
"Zero," he whispered before pausing. "I'll be there in a moment."  
  
He remained still for a moment before finally pushing himself out of his own body.  
  
~~~  
  
He arrived on the edge of Zero's lake. At this point, he took a look at his reflection. A Natu stared back at him.  
  
"Welcome, Bill."  
  
He looked up abruptly to see Zero, standing a few feet from him, in the waters of the lake.  
  
{Zero, why did you call me?} Bill asked, blinking at her.  
  
"I summoned you here for many reasons," she replied as she cocked her head slightly and smiled. "Mostly, it is because you must know."  
  
{Must know what? And why haven't you called Ash, Ziggy, or Jude here as well?}  
  
"This only concerns you."  
  
{Anything that has to do with shifting happens to be their business as well.}  
  
Zero smiled warmly, as if she were speaking to a child who knows too little. "Bill, this concerns your destiny especially. When the time comes, I will tell Ash as well. However, something will happen soon that requires you to know the truth of your purpose."  
  
{My purpose...?}  
  
"Of course."  
  
{Go on.}  
  
Zero turned so her side faced Bill before she went on.  
  
"Many legends say that Ash is the Chosen One," Zero began. "Chosen by Ho-oh."  
  
{So... He was telling the truth...} Bill's eyes widened (if a Natu's can indeed). {I've heard Professor Oak talk about Ash's claims... that he saw Ho-oh fly over a rainbow when he first started out on his Pokémon journey.}  
  
"He did," Zero replied. "Let me go on, though. Indeed he WAS chosen, but he was not just A chosen." She walked for a few steps through the water. "There is another legend, tied with an unfufilled prophecy, stating that time and time again, there were, are, and will be, in fact, THREE chosen. The Hero, the Royal, and the Angel. The Hero, the one who ensured that there was a world left for the prophecy to take place on, had already revealed himself without knowing this, and he would be Ash. The Royal, one who already knows all there is to know about the legends and one who would protect the other two, happens to be Apollo. Finally..." Zero walked back into her original place. "The Angel. The one who will bring peace and light to this world and the only one truly strong enough to greatly damage the shadows which threaten it, rather than purify them like the other two... This time, he is you."  
  
{Me?}  
  
"Yes."  
  
Bill didn't know what to say. He was just... a helper. The information guy no one ever really cared about. The... Giles of this Buffy the Vampire Slayer story. (Though, okay, the latter analogy hadn't crossed his mind.) If anything, he simply thought that the most he'd do would be to help the Angel, not to actually BE the Angel. Sure, he knew eventually, he'd achieve something great, but... THIS?  
  
"I know it's quite overwhelming for you," Zero told him. "However, you have yet to know all there is to know. Come. Take my hand. We can start from the very beginning..."  
  
Eager to know more, he jumped up into Zero's arms. The world faded out around them.  
  
~~~  
  
There was a void. Nothing yet to see.  
  
"Many people cannot remember the time before time," Zero began. "There once was a time without Pokémon, but instead, simply animals. Unfortunately, memories have been wiped, and it was as if this time never existed, though echoes of it can be found in the structures that somehow remained standing through the years.  
  
"I, or rather, my first incarnation, as I had been reborn many times since, had come from the original time. A time from the late second millenium to the early third. Then, I was what you concider to be... average. No special powers had been awakened inside of me. In fact, I had nothing but a great imagination and a skill with a game called Pokémon, a foreshadow of the age which is now.  
  
"In the creation of this game, the programmers had unintentionally created a virus which triggered glitches in the game. There were those that gave those who saw it shifting powers, Missingno, and there were those who bent reality in a different way, Mysterio.*5* One certain Mysterio came to life, becoming the only true Pokémon of the time. His name, which he had given himself, was Keianos.*6*  
  
"Keianos and I... we met through the game. He came into reality and became my friend. And one day, hand in hand, we crossed over."  
  
{Crossed over?}  
  
"Yes." Zero nodded as the world around the two slowly became more than void and light and color instead. "There is a point, twelve full years, that separates my original time from the one you happen to be familiar with. To some, this time is called the Beginning or Renaissance Years. To others, it is known as the Catastrophic Years. Whichever you may call it, the period was that which the heavens crashed down upon Earth.  
  
"Each year, throughout a certain month, meteor showers occurred, carrying giant space debris made of what you know as Sun Stone, Moon Stone, and Cosmos Stone. Each shower seemed to come from the time's respective zodiac sign, giving the people a reason to name them the Revenge of the Cosmos. The Revenge of the Cosmos had been feared only after the showers that came from Scorpio during November of the first year because these stones destroyed entire cities, then sent out special forms of radiation, turning both lifeforms and inanimate objects into Pokémon.  
  
"People were in panic. The world was thrown into chaos as civilization as I knew it was destroyed. However, Keianos and I became their hope. We had crossed a time barrier whose other side lay beside the path of the final shower -- which would strike Earth on the tenth month of the twelfth year -- crossing it just upon Neptune's orbit. We rode the debris to Earth, taking in the special magic contained within the stones.  
  
"When we arrived on Earth, those who found us called us the Seraphim of Libra, believing us to be messengers sent from the Heavens, riding from fair Libra from which the shower came. They asked us to protect them, and with our new magic, we did. Keianos and I wished for an end to the chaos, and so, the meteors stopped coming."  
  
Zero ran a hand over the air beside her and went into a sitting position, just as what was the ground became air. Thousands of feet of it, no less. Below them, there was an island, obviously civilized, and obviously from a time long ago.  
  
"Because the survivors of the Years had no knowledge of how to reestablish civilization -- because they were always led by someone else -- they were confused until Keianos and I chose five leaders to direct reconstruction and establish peace with the increasingly hostile Pokémon race, who now had a sense of superiority over humans and conflicted with them and the animals unaffected by the radiation in an attempt for global control.  
  
"What you see below you is the product of four short years under the five kings. The first prosperous civilization completely peaceful with all Pokémon, named for the legendary land of long ago. This is Neo Atlantis.  
  
"Here is where the story began..."  
  
~~~  
  
It was only four short years, but Neo Atlantis was already full of culture, civilzation, and whatnot. Driven by the motivation burned into them by the five kings, construction workers from the old times rebuilt buildings into the great city which sat upon the continent. It was a city of stone supported by steel, almost like if Atlantis ever rose again in the post-Apocalypse. And in a sense, this is exactly what it was.  
  
Because of the fact that they had all survived, there were constant celebrations. Constant gatherings to shout out how joyful and grateful all forms of life were to be alive. And on the former Halloween, there was one particular celebration.  
  
The location was the Northern Palace, where one of the five great kings resided. In the ballroom, countless guests, both Pokémon and human, were gathered, conducting merryment until a lanky servant ran down a set of steps in the front of the room, made his way to the long table in the back, and whispered something to the king seated behind it. The king grinned and stood up.  
  
"Attention! Attention! May I have your attention please?"  
  
The band stopped playing. The din quieted down. All eyes turned toward the king, who stood up from his throne and raised his cup.  
  
"We have much to be thankful for," the king announced. "Surviving, health, happiness, peace with these new, wonderous creatures called Pokémon... I myself must be thankful for my family -- including my wife and my son, Anadus..."  
  
At this point, the king nodded to the prince, who was among the people, charming the girls with his dark eyes, general good looks, and polite conversation skills.  
  
"...But of course," the king continued, "we must be thankful for two souls, one of which, sadly, had chosen instead to attend a celebration in the South. However, one had kept her word to come join us in our merriments tonight. Please welcome Lady Aigori."  
  
The crowd applauded and turned to the stairs, where Zero had indeed stood in a white elfin dress with actual sleeves and no wings. Her long, thin hands drifted down and lifted up part of her skirt as she carefully made her way down to the dance floor. Her dark hair bounced slightly with each step, though still held down by a circle of small, white flowers around her head. She smiled and nodded to the band, signaling them to resume with the music. As soon as it had, however, all attention went back to merrymaking.  
  
However, one hand drifted up to grab Zero's. Startled, she looked up and into hazel eyes and the rest of a thin face framed by brownish-blond, short hair. He was no older than early twenty-something with a thin body, looking larger than it actually was due to various layers of colored capes and clothing, topped off with a green cloak.  
  
"Mercurius," she whispered.  
  
"Lady Aigori, I must have a word with you as soon as possible," he told her. "Please, my lady, it's important that you take heed."  
  
"I understand," she replied. "Perhaps we should be alone."  
  
"Yes, this would be best," Mercurius said with a nod.  
  
Mercurius took Zero by the hand and led her back up the stairs and through a set of curtains at the top, right into a balcony currently unused otherwise. He led her straight to the railing lining the far edge of the balcony, turned her toward him, and leaned forward, speaking quietly so as not to let anyone else hear.  
  
"Lady Aigori, I want to tell you something that would most likely spoil the merrymaking in the ballroom."  
  
"I don't mind," she replied, wondering what he was about to say. "Please, Mercurius, go on."  
  
"My lady, may I ask where Keianos is currently located?" Mercurius inquired.  
  
"He is in the Southeastern Domain, at another celebration thrown by the king there."  
  
"That he is not," Mercurius responded. "My lady, Keianos recently found a group of thieves, murderers, and other criminals hiding in a place where, apparently, your teachings of peace, love, and hope haven't had any effect. My servants have kept an eye on him ever since I saw this through my mind's eye. Ever since that encounter, he had been questioning your teachings, wondering whether they were practical. My lady, Keianos dreams of war, and he plans on stirring trouble!"  
  
Zero cocked her head. "But why would Keianos want to do such a thing?"  
  
"The ideas from these dark people have contaminated his heart," Mercurius replied. "And they haven't stopped there. In turn, Keianos went to many kings on Neo Atlantis and tainted THEIR minds, and this is his reason for being in the Southeastern Domain at this point."  
  
Mercurius straightened up and stepped away from Zero a bit.  
  
"My lady," he said, "right now, Keianos is gathering followers. It's only a matter of time until he makes the first attempt to cover the world in darkness, just as it had been many years ago before the Renaissance Years."  
  
"I see..." Zero bowed her head a bit. "Have you foreseen anything? Anything we could possibly do to stop Keianos forever?"  
  
Mercurius stopped for a moment, then drew his hand under his cape. His hand went to a ring of silver tied to his belt with a small piece of rope. He undid the knot and pulled the ring out.  
  
"My lady, this circlet was made for you," he said. "A piece of the mysterious stone which does not cause Pokémon to transform -- not the Sun Stone, nor the Moon Stone, but instead, what we now call the Cosmos Stone -- had been placed in the front. We think that perhaps you could use it to increase your power and become even stronger than Keianos. Replace your ring of flowers with this ring of silver."  
  
Zero looked into Mercurius' face, nodded, and took off the circle of flowers around her head. Mercurius placed the ring of silver with the sapphire-colored stone in its place, positioning the stone so that it remained over the center of her forehead.  
  
As soon as the stone was in place, Zero dropped the ring of flowers, feeling the stone's power as she was surrounded by a blue light...  
  
~~~  
  
"Mercurius was correct," Zero told Bill in the present. "Peace would not last long. Keianos turned against the last good king of Neo Atlantis as well as all of his subjects, including myself. All of the followers of Keianos, who not long after announced himself as Keios, fought a bloody struggle against the army of the last good kingdom and the rebels under the kingdoms ruled by newly villainous tyrants.  
  
"I was left to fight Keios alone but found that even with the circlet containing the Cosmos Stone, I lacked such a strength to defeat this new demon fueled by darkness and the darkness in the hearts of man. I turned to three great leaders for help: Mercurius, the wise sage from the West, Anadus, the noble prince of the North, and Helena, the courageous female soldier who once served both domains of the South. They were the original three, the three who started the Circle Prophecy."  
  
Around them, destruction and death appeared. Warriors from both sides struggled to defeat one another, not getting anywhere but on the ground, dead in a puddle of blood on rubble.   
  
However, in the heart of the conflict, a great shadow loomed. Bill shivered, recognizing this shadow as the one in his Xatu visions. The familiar, cold feeling swelled up inside of him.  
  
"Yes, Bill," Zero said, answering his thoughts. "That shadow is Keios, no longer the pure white being of light, love, and happiness it once was as Keianos. I, too, feel sad that this happened to him..."  
  
At once, other voices could be heard. Noises of fighting, but mostly, in the heart, voices. Keios laughed sadistically as others screamed at him.  
  
A young woman stepped up. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her thin, tanned body was covered in a uniform not unlike Li Meiling's card capturing uniform.*7* Her dark brown eyes narrowed as she lifted the white bow she held in her hand and drew out one silver arrow from her quiver. She prepared for a shot, drew back the bow, and fired, sending the arrow right into Keios.  
  
He gasped, but pulled the tiny (tiny compared to his size) arrow from his side and laughed.  
  
"So, the little rose has thorns," the monster sneered.  
  
"Helena, he's too strong to be attacking individually!" Anadus yelled to her before lifting his sword of pure silver. "We've all got to attack him together!"  
  
"Well, then hurry up!" Helena replied as she drew another arrow from her quiver.  
  
Bill's eyes were torn from this sight only by Zero's present voice once more.  
  
"The battle went on for days," Zero recalled. "That is, until finally, Mercurius foresaw the sinking of the island, just like that of Atlantis countless millenia ago. We had to seal Keios away quickly so we could have enough time to evacuate all those on the island with innocent hearts. To do that, I lent them the power of the Cosmos Stone so that each could pool their will and light together to create a prison for Keios."  
  
At this, three beams of light shot up into the sky and thickened until they became three light walls around Keios. These light walls leaned in and reshaped themselves until Keios was trapped within a pyramid of light.  
  
"You cannot defeat me this easily!" Keios hissed from inside. "Nothing can hold me forever! I will escape, and when that happens, the world will be mine!"  
  
With that, the pyramid of light shrank to the size of a PokéBall and sank into the debris of a building on Neo Atlantis, just before the earth began to shake.  
  
"We had little time," Zero continued. "By creating a second barrier of light, no dark soul could step onto a boat and leave the island. Everyone rushed to get off the island any possible way they could, leaving the island to sink into the depths."  
  
Around them, water appeared to cover the land at an alarming rate. Zero didn't appear worried due to the bubble she had created around herself and Bill. However, a worried expression HAD crossed her face when a tiny pyramid floated up, toward the surface...  
  
~~~  
  
The two were once again floating in a void. For a long time, both were silent until Bill spoke up.  
  
{Go on, Zero,} he said. {Tell me more.}  
  
Zero smiled at his eagerness. "The inhabitants of Neo Atlantis scattered about the world, but not before taking the legend and the prophecy foretold partially by Mercurius and partially by myself. They had carved them in many caves and preserved them on many artifacts, but each never varied in the story. The story itself, though, goes on.  
  
"After the first battle, Helena, Anadus, and Mercurius each had offspring of their own, to each a treasure was passed as well as their respective title and destiny. From time to time, the sons and daughters of the children of the three fought side by side, sealing Keios back up if he ever escaped again. Using Helena's Helios Bow are the descendants of her son who came to form the line of the Hero and whose surname disappeared into the Ketchum name. Using the Moon Sword of Anadus are the Royals, who are the ancestors and relatives of Dagda,*8* the family of Apollo. And finally comes the children of Mercurius."  
  
She paused.  
  
{Go on.}  
  
"Mercurius' case was unusual. You see, he had not one but two children, unlike Helena and Anadus, who each had one child. The first daughter received the cross that had protected Mercurius and became known as the Sealing Angel. Each time Keios was released, the first daughter in the family tree that grew from the daughter of Mercurius participated in the prophecy, using magic to attack and the cross as a defense.  
  
"On the other hand, Mercurius had second child, a son. To this son, Mercurius gave a ball of pure energy. As the other children hid their treasures time and time again, the ball of light was placed inside the son, passed down to any second-born son following him. The chosen from this branch had always been known as the Ending Angel, possessing a great power which I will soon tell you of. Right now, you may know that this bloodline goes into the Avalon family tree."  
  
{Avalon...?} Bill's eyes widened. {My mother's...?}  
  
"Your mother's maiden name," Zero completed with a nod. "And you are her first son but second child, making you the Ending Angel."  
  
{But what does that mean?}  
  
"I will tell you, but perhaps the Circle Prophecy will explain things better...  
  
"In times of darkness, Three will rise  
One to lead, one to fight, and one to protect.  
The Royal will be the first to hold the gift  
The Hero will fight alongside those rarely seen  
The Angel, late to come, will protect us all  
Three guided by a Pixie of orgins unknown  
  
"When the Shadow takes form and reveals himmself  
The Royal and the Hero will rise to fight  
It is not until after the Angel saves the Pixie  
When it too will wield the sword.  
When all three have united to fight as one,  
Only then will the Shadow be defeated  
  
"Far away in a distant time, the Three will do much more  
The Royal will push the Shadow away  
The Hero will bring its downfall  
Both with their mighty swords  
And the Angel will destroy it forever  
Using the gift it was born to use  
  
"The sun will shine once more in Atlantis,  
And the three will wander separate ways  
The Hero to wander as a warrior  
The Royal to discover the skill of Atlantis  
And the Angel, reaching its true meaning  
To protect our kind forever more."*9*  
  
{I still don't understand.}  
  
Zero giggled for a moment, then grew serious and tried once more. "Sometime in the future, Apollo, Ash, and you will all gather together to fight against Keios, just like there had been struggles countless times before. However, this time around, Ash and Apollo will only weaken Keios just enough for you to use your true power -- the true gift of light inside of you -- to destroy the darkness in Keios once and for all."  
  
Okay, now if you were Bill, and you could find something to say about this, I'm quite impressed. Unfortunately, you're not Bill, and the poor guy was overwhelmed like he hadn't been before, just by that last sentence.  
  
And Zero wasn't even done yet.  
  
"However, things will not be exactly as I had foreseen," Zero continued. "I first realized this when Apollo caught sight of a Missingno on Cinnabar Island and became a shifter,*10* meaning both you and Ash would have to become shifters as well to make the three of you equal. But I should have seen a much earlier sign."  
  
{What do you mean?}  
  
"When you were born, you were not meant to be summoned to fufill your duty as the Ending Angel," she explained. "You were meant to be, yes, a successful Pokémon researcher, but one with a peaceful life in which no knowledge of Keios' existance. Instead, the prophecy would have continued with the Sealing Angel, the first daughter of the descendants of Mercurius' daughter, whose name disappeared into the Loveland family tree."*11*  
  
{You mean...?}  
  
"Yes. Tess was the Sealing Angel. But she had her ancestor Mercurius' sixth sense and foresaw everything about the prophecy and the role she and the others played in it. I believe she hinted at this once."  
  
Tess's voice echoed through the void. "You and I are destined for great things..."  
  
Bill couldn't reply.  
  
"Yes, she was trying to warn you about the burden she was going to place on you," Zero continued. "I still remember how she came to me that night..."  
  
~~~  
  
Zero's lake. Zero herself, yes, a few years younger, but perfectly preserved as a fifteen-year-old girl, stood near the shore once more. Tess appeared behind her.  
  
"Lady Aigori," Tess addressed. "Zero..."  
  
Zero turned around. "Hello, Tess."  
  
"Zero, I had a dream last night," Tess stated. "In it, I saw Keios. I saw myself, many years from now. I saw so many horrible things. Zero, I don't want this horrible thing to occur over and over again. How can I stop this during this turn?"  
  
"You can't," Zero replied. "You must pass away, handing your destiny to the current Ending Angel. I trust you know who that is."  
  
"Of course. And I'm willing to die if it means no other will die because of Keios."  
  
"Are you positive? There are many things to concider..."  
  
"I'd rather die now and know that Keios will as well than remain alive and die at the hands of Keios, only to have him kill others in the future!"  
  
Zero's eyes were wide, but then she gave Tess a soft look. "Alright. You have convinced me to allow you to do this. Give the Ending Angel your family cross, then continue on your own way. Tess, I honestly wish there would be another way in which you don't have only the option to die, but only the Sealing Angel will be--"  
  
"--Summoned unless she is no longer living," Tess finished softly. "I know."  
  
Zero gave her a solemn look. "You will break many hearts in doing this."  
  
"I know."  
  
"And still, you do not mind?"  
  
"No."  
  
Zero sighed and nodded. "Very well then. Farewell."  
  
Zero turned around as Tess began to leave. Suddenly, the older girl in white thought of something else.  
  
"Tess," Zero said. "I must tell you one more thing. Whatever you do, do NOT speak a word of this to Bill. He is far from ready to know about Keios, his destiny, myself... just about anything involved with the prophecy. Do you understand?"  
  
"I understand, Lady Aigori."  
  
"Good bye then, Tess..."  
  
~~~  
  
Bill was unable to reply to this. He stared incredulously into the void, shaken by the images of Tess. He had nearly forgotten what she looked like, and to be reminded under these circumstances...  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Bill jumped slightly, startled by Zero's voice.  
  
{Sorry? For what?} he finally responded.  
  
"I know it hurts, remembering her," Zero said. "I'm sorry for forcing you to do so."  
  
He shook his head and quietly replied, {It's okay.}  
  
"But yes, it was because of Tess's decision that you must now fufill your part of the prophecy. It is, after all, your destiny to end the cycle. To drive away the darkness once and for all. It's a great responsibility, but I have faith in you," Zero once again told Bill.  
  
{Zero, out of curiousity,} Bill began, {What will happen if I fail?}  
  
"You would not want to know," Zero replied with a frown. Before Bill could say anything, Zero added, "I have one more thing to show you."  
  
{...What...?}  
  
The void was filled with small images of places -- towns, cities, rural areas... just about everything one could think of, and all images focused on one person.  
  
"Bill, are you aware that there are others like Ash, Apollo, and you, others who possess the gift of shifting and intend on using it for good?" Zero inquired.  
  
{...No.}  
  
"There are, and always has been as long as Missingno existed. Thousands of people all over the world, the very people you see in each image around us. Each very much aware of my presence, Keios' presence, and the presence of another governing body..."  
  
The images disappeared, except for one image revealing eight cloaked figures standing next to one another in a white, marble room.  
  
"Have you ever heard of High Rise Circle?" Zero asked.  
  
Bill shook his head.  
  
"No? Strange. Apollo would have said something by now," Zero muttered. "High Rise Circle is a group of elite shifter masters -- seven who act as a Parliament to all shifters, and the eighth, the leader of the group, Marcus. It is their job to keep shifters in line and to keep the shifter world secret.  
  
"Unfortunately, many shifters answer only to them and act as their servants. Because the members of High Rise Circle are normally kind, I pay no attention to this. However, lately, there has been a problem..."  
  
{A problem?}  
  
Zero's hand flung out to the picture, distorting it a bit before it grew dark, changing the cloaks on seven of the members (as well as the wall behind them) to a dark color and erasing Marcus from the picture. A few moments later, behind them, a shadow with red eyes appeared. Bill gasped upon seeing this.  
  
"Somehow, Keios entered the meeting room of High Rise Circle as they were discussing recent events against Keios, specifically, the end of our battle with Lilith," Zero explained. "It was then that Keios flooded the room and almost all of the members' minds and hearts with darkness, turning them against the only one unaffected by this sudden event, Marcus."   
  
Zero's hand rested on her lap as she shut her eyes. Bill felt one of her hot tears fall upon his head.  
  
"Keios then ordered the members to kill Marcus, and they obeyed him," Zero finished. "Now, Keios is using High Rise Circle to do his bidding, which means those poor, confused followers of theirs are now carrying out deeds of evil."  
  
Zero shook her head, as if to shake off anger and sadness. "I would tell you to help me repurify High Rise Circle, but that is not your concern. Keios is after you because of your purpose to destroy him. If he manages to get you before it is time to fufill your purpose, then the hope of a peaceful world will be faint and obscure. I only ask of you to take up defense and wait for something bigger to happen."  
  
{Something bigger? Keios will attack soon?}  
  
"Yes, but that is not what I meant," Zero replied. "I meant... Something earlier. Something inevitable and written in the prophecy as well."  
  
{What?}  
  
She didn't answer him as the void around them disappeared. She stood in the waters, still holding him for awhile before setting him down again.  
  
{Zero, please, if you can, tell me what it is I'm to wait for this time,} Bill pleaded.  
  
Zero turned away. "I cannot say. I don't want you trying to prevent it. Return to your body. I have said all I think you need to know. If there is anything more, I will speak with you again. Until next time, Bill. Farewell."  
  
Bill paused and stared at her back for awhile before shifting out.  
  
Just before he had done so, he heard Zero say to herself, "I only pray that he will do well without me..."  
  
~~~  
  
"Wait, wait, wait... All of this happened... WHILE I WAS OFFLINE?"  
  
Bill nodded before bracing himself, ready for an earful.  
  
"AUGH!" Ziggy groaned. "Why didn't you get me online quickly enough!?"  
  
Bill smirked, holding his tongue, though he was HIGHLY tempted to say, "Because I was enjoying the peace and quiet resulting from not having to hear your incessant chattering."  
  
"Oh, well, I'll forgive you," Ziggy muttered with a fake smile. "Besides, I have my revenge."  
  
Bill cocked his head. "What do you mean?"  
  
Ziggy giggled. "When I realized that the storm was over and you STILL didn't get me online, I took off all of the SPAM filters on your Inbox."*12*  
  
"What!?" Bill glared at her. "Ziggy!!"  
  
"Serves you right for forgetting about me again!" Ziggy responded with a wide, mischievous smile.  
  
Bill growled and got to work, deleting the piles of SPAM he received over time.  
  
Meanwhile, Apollo leaned in the doorway of the cellar as Artemis sat on Apollo's shoulder.  
  
"So, now he knows," Apollo muttered to his Pokémon partner. "How much longer do you think we have?"  
  
"Not long enough," Artemis replied with a frown. "'It is not until after the Angel saves the Pixie...'"  
  
"Hmm..." Apollo narrowed his eyes. "Does that remain true this time around, without the Sealing Angel?"  
  
"Unfortunately yes," Artemis responded with a sigh.  
  
***  
  
End episode 21*13*  
  
---  
Footnotes:  
  
*1*: By the way, in case anyone's wondering why one would do this (I know I always have when I first started loving anime), it's simply the Japanese form of a raspberry. (I would have Jude do the latter and have this involve a joke about a tongue ring, but I've decided to refrain from doing so. ^_^;)  
  
*2*: ...I don't even know if this is a logical time or not. We can suppose it is, though I've been VERY inconsistant about time. (I've never told you this, but it's true.)  
  
*3*: Refers to the crescent moon.  
  
*4*: Don't worry, I'm not going to make a subtle reference to Jekyll and Hyde EVERY episode from now on. Just anytime I have "Confrontation" stuck in me head. XD (Nah. I'm not obsessed. You have yet to meet Meowthgal-san and/or Onion-tachi. ^_^;)  
  
*5*: Otherwise known as 'M.  
  
*6*: Pronounced kay-AH-nohs. Means nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's a name I made up. ^_^;  
  
*7*: Yep. Card Captor Sakura (not Cardcaptors) reference. And I got lazy. ^_^;  
  
*8*: If I can remember correctly, Dagda is a Celtic god, whose role in mythology is kinda like Jupiter's.  
  
*9*: The reason why this doesn't rhyme (like all cliché-y prophecies do) is because the language of Neo Atlantis is a foreign language. -_-  
  
*10*: Yep. Those Missingnos can really screw up reality. ^_^;  
  
*11*: Right. Bill and Tess are distant cousins. VERY distant. As in, the last ancestors from both family trees who were related are dead and have been buried for a millenium or two... or three. It's not as sick as you think; EVERYONE'S related to one another in some way. (So, technically, the world is overrun with inbreds. ^_^;)  
  
*12*: "Offline" means that the connection between the shifters and her were severed. So, Ziggy could do just about anything on Bill's computer except for pop up and talk to him, even if she was "offline."  
  
*13*: Well, the first episode in a brand new season. ^_^ Not TOO bad... Anywho, yeah. I apologize for not making any sense with Apollo and Artemis at the end there. Trust me; it'll get clearer when I build upon it. ^_^; 


	3. Teen Sensation

Foreword: The following episode had been done because, well, I felt that I never actually do much with the eldest child of the McKenzie family, Penny. ^_^;  
  
Also, yes. I know this is EXTREMELY late (as in close to a month late), but I have a damn good reason. *kicks Fanfiction.net*  
  
...Well, that and I'm unfortunately losing interest in Warp Series, thanks to my latest stories, including all the one shots, The Wanderers, Waterloo, The Labyrinth Game, Karasu no Uta (viewable only on the MFC), and Harpies and Halcyons (viewable only on DeviantArt's science fiction section). I apologize to everyone who likes Warp Series; I do too still. It's just that I'm having a hard time getting myself to sit down and write episodes every week like I used to. ^_^;  
  
And by the way, yes, I have an account on DeviantArt. For all you Deviants here, I'm tokyorose. Check it out sometime; I'm doing a lot of one-shots and originals, as well as a few angsty Sonezaki Masaki (aka Bill) fanfics here and there.  
  
Okay, and AFTER the shameless advertising... ^_^;  
  
***  
Episode 22--  
Teen Sensation  
  
In the darkened meeting room, Lucius stood, waiting for someone to appear. His crimson eyes narrowed into the silent void until the door opened, and in walked the tall, lean man in a red robe with long, blonde hair and sapphire eyes before a teenaged girl with black hair in a braid down her back and sparkling, blue eyes (and whose body was wrapped in an orange cloak) followed. Both dropped to one knee before Lucius.  
  
"You called for us, Master Lucius?" they asked in unison.  
  
"Yes," Lucius replied. "I have an assignment for the both of you. First, Robin..."  
  
The girl raised her head to look into Lucius' eyes.  
  
"Yes, sir?" she asked.  
  
"I want you and your psychic-type-loving supporters to go out there and hypnotize others into following Keios," Lucius instructed. "Go now, so I can speak to Jeremiah alone."  
  
"Yes, sir," Robin replied as she stood. "I guarantee that I will not fail."  
  
With that, she left the room, leaving Lucius and Jeremiah alone. Jeremiah lifted his sapphire eyes to look at Lucius.  
  
"Jeremiah, I want to give you a special assignment," Lucius said. "I want you to pay a visit to Lady Aigori's secret lake and 'persuade' her to have a word in person with me. Do you understand?"  
  
Jeremiah smiled. "Of course, Master Lucius."  
  
"Good! Now go!" Lucius commanded.  
  
Jeremiah stood and rushed out of the room.  
  
~~~  
  
To: good_times@mail.nu  
From: sweetheart_starmie67@hotmail.com  
Subject: ur invited!  
CC:  
  
hey, bill! how's my sweet, little bro doing? good? i thought so. no g/f yet? aw. 2 bad. lol. anyways, i just wanted to tell u and jude that the both of u are invited to a competition i'm participating in! if i win, i'll be the #1 idol in kanto AND johto!  
  
hope u 2 r gonna be there to root me on!  
  
luv,  
penny  
  
To: sweetheart_starmie67@hotmail.com  
From: good_times@mail.nu  
Subject: RE: ur invited!  
CC: good_times@mail.nu  
  
To my dearest older sister Penny:  
  
In the everlasting words of our dear younger sister Jude...  
  
Bite me.  
  
With love,  
Bill*1*  
  
Jude looked over Bill's shoulder.  
  
"Geez, and you call ME harsh," she commented.  
  
"I hate her," he replied.  
  
"Really? Why's that? I don't mind her."  
  
"She's so airheaded it irks me to no end. She has quite an ego AND a temper when it's 'that time of the month.'"  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"She won't leave me alone because I'm single."  
  
"That's not something to complain about."  
  
"It is if someone does it ever since your puberty."  
  
Jude scoffed at this.  
  
"What? Do you think I'm joking?" Bill inquired. "Trust me, I have recordings to prove it."  
  
"I didn't say I didn't believe you," Jude replied with a shrug. "So, what do you think?"  
  
Bill raised an eyebrow at her. "What do I think about what?"  
  
"About going to her competition."  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, come on! It's Penny, after all!"  
  
"Oh. In that case, god no."  
  
"I'll give you twenty bucks."  
  
Bill smiled and leaned over to her. "You already owe me twenty dollars."  
  
Jude flinched. "Damn you!"  
  
He smiled like the Cheshire Cat but said nothing. He looked at his e-mail again and frowned. Hmm. Though Penny DID deserve it (at least, in Bill's point of view), he couldn't help but feel guilty already...  
  
"Alright! I'll go!"  
  
Jude laughed. "You old softie."  
  
He narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
~~~  
  
And so, after leaving Apollo in charge (and after telling Ash to pretty much NOT touch anything), Bill and Jude were on their way to Celadon City, where the so-called "Teen Princess Competition" was being held. It wasn't long before the train stopped at Celadon Station, where a girl stood waiting on a platform next to two, brawny men.  
  
She was in her late teens, no doubt, with tan skin and curly, red hair falling down to her chin and a blue streak on her left side. Her hazel eyes glittered in her flawless face, and her smile was broad and white. She wore only the latest European style, brown, platform shoes, black, knee-high socks, a short, green, plaid skirt, and a button-down, white shirt under a buttoned-up, V-neck, blue sweater. Very school-girlish. Not only this, but around both of her wrists, there were several blue and gold bracelets, her ears had golden hoops hanging from them, and around her neck, there was a gold necklace with a golden heart on it and a second, longer gold chain with a cross on it over her bosom. To top it all off, it was obvious she was wearing makeup, and on the nails of her long, thin hands, there were blue, acryllic nails glued to her true ones.  
  
She looked up to see the passengers come off the train, so she removed her cell phone from her ear and put it back into the pink purse she wore on her shoulder. She smiled broadly as she saw Jude and Bill walk off the train. Immediately, she darted over and hugged the both of them.  
  
"You made it!" she cried in a very England-meets-Silicon-Valley*2* voice. "I didn't, like, think you would! Especially after your e-mail, Bill! You're such a jokester! You always were!"  
  
Bill rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hey, Penny! Long time, no see!" Jude greeted before noticing the two, large guys behind her. "Woah. Nice guys."  
  
Penny giggled and broke out of the hug. "They're my body guards, Hanz and Arnold."  
  
Jude whistled.  
  
"Not until you're older, young lady," Bill told Jude, glaring at her.  
  
Penny laughed. "Oh, that's the same excuse you give me everytime I ask you if you've finally found yourself a real girlfriend! 'I'm waiting until they're older!'"  
  
Bill narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
~~~  
  
Penny had to run to do some last-minute preparations for her act in the competition, leaving Bill and Jude to check into the hotel and unpack.  
  
"You know, Penny's done as much for me as she had for you," Jude pointed out.  
  
"So she did nothing?" Bill inquired.  
  
"Nah. I mean, she cheered me up when I was feeling down," Jude corrected. "Oh. You wouldn't remember her doing that for me. You were off at the Academy then."  
  
Bill stopped and sighed. A pang of guilt went through him. He never really lived with Jude. He started going to a boarding school when he was five years old, after psychologists discovered he was a genius, but then, Jude was two and wouldn't be able to make a lasting memory of him. From then on, it was boarding school, Pokémon training, more boarding schools, and college for Bill and nothing for Jude to learn about her brother with save for pictures and holiday visits, during which he usually holed up in his room, fiddling with his computer or reading. He realized that he hadn't been the best brother to either sister, and it was because of that simple fact that he lowered his head and stared at the wood of the dresser.  
  
"Hey, Bill?" Jude addressed. "Are you okay?"  
  
He sighed again. "I'm sorry, Jude."  
  
"Sorry?" She cocked her head. "For what?"  
  
"For not being around when I should have," he replied. "I should have been home during all these years, protecting you and helping you like a decent older brother should."  
  
"Isn't that what you're doing now?"  
  
"It's not enough."  
  
"Well, yeah it is," Jude responded.  
  
He turned around, now leaning on the dresser and giving her a blank look.  
  
"Listen, you've been protecting me more than any other older brother around," Jude said. "And you've been giving me enough good advice to last a lifetime! I'll be damned if that doesn't qualify as enough!"  
  
She was about to say something else when something in her backpack beeped. She walked over to it and took out her COM device, staring at it with a surprised glance.  
  
"You're not going to believe this," Jude said, "but you've got a shift."  
  
"Me?" Bill blinked. "Why would Zero send you a shift that has to do with me, rather than send it to Ziggy?"  
  
Jude shrugged. "I dunno. She hasn't sent the mission details yet."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
With that, Bill shifted out.  
  
~~~  
  
A black haired girl in a complete, pink outfit leaned against the wall with several punk-looking young men. Her crystal-blue eyes narrowed at each one of them.  
  
"So," she said. "There's going to be a lot of people in the audience tonight, especially since it's down to just me and one other girl. The tension is high, and everyone's paying close attention to our acts. That's when you slip in some hypnotic waves as Hypnos and Drowzees and take control of the entire crowd! Master Lucius will be highly impressed."  
  
"You got that right, Robin," the leader of the punks replied. "They won't know what hit 'em!"  
  
"And by the way," Robin added before leaving. "Hypnotize the judges into letting me win. I'd like the pleasure of being crowned Kanto and Johto's top teen idol."  
  
"You've got it, Robin!" the boys responded in unison.  
  
Robin walked a few steps away before pausing again. She craned her neck, as if to look for something far away, and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she smiled.  
  
'Another shifter is around. A strong one,' she thought. 'If it's the Prime, then Master Lucius will indeed enjoy our show...'  
  
~~~  
  
"Wigglytuff! Pay attention!"  
  
Bill opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with a balding man with a long nose, stern, brown eyes, and a black mustache and beard.  
  
{W-What?} Bill blinked.  
  
The man sighed. "Let's go through the act one more time. Do exactly as I say, and try not to screw it up this time! Your owner wants this to be perfect by tonight!"  
  
{Uh... uh... I-I, uh...} Bill blinked, watching the man in confusion.  
  
The stranger straightened up and backed over to a CD player, where he pressed play.  
  
"Remember, when Penny sings this, start dancing!"  
  
Penny's voice floated through the air along with a techno beat.  
  
"Can't seem to get my mind off of you  
Back here at home there's nothing to do  
Now that I'm away  
I wish I'd stayed  
Tomorrow's a day of mine that you won't be in..."*3*  
  
"Wigglytuff!" the choreographer began to clap his hands. "Alright, Wigglytuff! Hop back, hop back, Jump up! Tap foot, tap foot, tap foot! Hop forward, hop forward, slide forward!"  
  
{Gah!} Bill's eyes widened as he attempted to follow the directions the choreographer gave.  
  
The dance continued as the choreographer shouted directions above the music. Bill did his best to follow, wishing he had paid more attention to the dancing lessons his mother had given him, especially when the choreographer shouted moves only a true dancer would understand.  
  
The music stopped abruptly as Bill tripped and fell forward. The choreographer had stopped the CD.  
  
"Ugh! You've gotten WORSE since the last time we took it from the top!" he snapped.  
  
{That's because I'm not a dancer,} Bill responded with a groan as he sat up.  
  
The choreographer sighed. "You know what? I don't care. Take five while I try to talk to Penny about leaving you out of the act. Ever since she had you evolve, you've been only a clumsy furball."  
  
Bill sighed with relief as the choreographer stomped off. {No more dancing. That just made my day.}  
  
He was alone in the dance rehersal room, listening to the sounds of the band and Penny practicing in another room.  
  
{Why am I here...?} he asked himself. {Ziggy!}  
  
Instead of the cheerful hologram he knew as Ziggy, he heard Jude's voice.  
  
"Hey, Bill! Can you hear me?"  
  
{Yes, Jude,} he replied. {Why aren't you here in hologram form? No, wait, I have a better question -- why are you contacting me at all? What about Ziggy?}  
  
"I'm not appearing to you in hologram form because I'm getting ready for the competition tonight, so I'm only half dressed," Jude explained. "You remember Penny's dress code, right? Ugh! I don't think I'm going to be able to live with myself after this. I don't wear pink, dammit! I mean, what's wrong with just plain, old black?"  
  
{Jude?}  
  
"What?"  
  
{What about Ziggy and my mission?}  
  
"Oh! Right!" Jude paused. "Well, Zero wants us to work together to help our dear older sister, so she's having me keeping in touch with you, rather than Ziggy, who's already helping Ash with some mission involving a Crobat and a vampire wannabe."  
  
{Okay...} Bill stood up and began to pace. {Alright, so what exactly do I have to do?}  
  
"Like I said, you're here to help Penny," Jude told him. "You see, she HAS to win the competition, or, let's just say if she's a washup, she'll make a nice whore in the lousy districts of Goldenrod City."  
  
{Jude!}  
  
"What? It's true!" She paused and continued. "Anyways, her rival, Robin Valentine, is going to attempt to sabotage tonight's competition. You've got to keep her from doing it. Not only that, but Zero says something about a member of High Rise Circle making an appearance tonight. Know anything about that?"  
  
{I know a little bit about High Rise Circle, but nothing significant.}  
  
"Oh. Well, it was worth a try. Good luck!"  
  
She severed the link between them.  
  
{I have to help Penny,} he said with a sigh. {Oh, boy. This will be one of my less-enjoyable missions...}  
  
"Oh, come on, Jack! She can't be THAT bad!"  
  
Bill stiffened, hearing Penny's voice not too far away.  
  
"See for yourself, Penny!" Jack replied, guiding her into the rehersal room. "Alright, Wigglytuff! Let's take it one more time from the top!"  
  
Jack the choreographer with the black beard and mustache walked over to the CD player and pressed play.  
  
{Oh, great!} Bill sighed with sarcasm as he began to follow the steps he remembered... rather badly, though.  
  
Eventually, he tripped again, winding up, once more, flat on his face.  
  
"Hmm," Penny muttered, watching her Wigglytuff get back on its feet. "I see what you mean."  
  
And to Bill's dismay, she bent down and hugged his host. Tightly.  
  
"You must be tired," Penny said. "I mean, you've been working hard to help me get to the finals. Would you like a break and sit this one out, sweetie?"  
  
{Please!} Bill replied, nodding vigorously, ignoring the fact that Penny called him "sweetie."  
  
Penny let go, to Bill's relief. She stood up and shrugged.  
  
"Okay then," she responded, noticing Bill's nod. "I'll just have the Jigglypuff dance. There won't be much of a change, would there, Jack?"  
  
She looked at Jack. He smiled.  
  
"No problem," he told her.  
  
"Good!" Penny replied as she skipped away.  
  
Bill sighed in relief.  
  
~~~  
  
With nothing better to do, Bill wandered about the amphitheatre where the artists practiced and would be playing that night in the competition. He was trying to find this "Robin" girl he was supposed to keep an eye out for, but he found nothing instead. He groaned in frustration.  
  
{Time is running out, and I can't find Robin anywhere,} he muttered to himself.  
  
Suddenly, he heard someone laughing behind him. He turned to see a dark-haired girl with bright, blue eyes standing there, staring at him with a smile.  
  
"So, you're the shifter I've been sensing," she said.  
  
Bill stared with her with wide eyes. How did she know that he was a shifter...?  
  
She laughed. "I'm a powerful one myself; I've gotten to the point where I can sense when another powerful shifter is present." She bent down. "Are you not that infamous little novice I've heard so much about? One known as the Prime? ...One who calls himself Bill? Ooh, please say that you are! I'd be very much disappointed if I was wrong..."  
  
{Who are you...?} Bill managed to inquire.  
  
She laughed again. "I asked you first, but I'll be glad to answer. My name is Robin Valentine. I serve Lucius, the new leader of High Rise Circle, and I have been given permission to destroy the Prime if he ever appeared." She stood up. "I could destroy you here and now, but I have bigger plans. Come to the competition tonight and listen carefully. You may find that you like my song..."  
  
She turned and began to walk away.  
  
{Wait!} Bill called out. {I'm afraid I can't let you leave!}  
  
Robin turned her head and looked back at him. "Do you honestly think you stand a chance against ME? In a Wigglytuff's body? Sweetie, you can't even stand up to my underlings. Challenge me again when you've got more strength than that..."  
  
{Nonetheless, I--}  
  
Robin interrupted as her eyes flashed at him.  
  
"Perhaps I forgot to tell you, each member of High Rise Circle has his or her own element he or she commands," Robin explained. "Call it a type specialty. And my specialty happens to be psychic..."  
  
The last thing Bill saw was a flash. Other than that, he found himself nestling into the darkness of his dreams.  
  
~~~  
  
"Bill! Bill! Are you there!?"  
  
{W-What...?}  
  
Bill opened his eyes, finding himself in the backstage hallway where he encountered Robin. Somewhere in the distance, he heard his sister's voice singing the beginning of the song.  
  
{Oh no!} he cried out with a gasp. {Jude! What time is it!?}  
  
"8:05," she responded. "Fifteen minutes after I snuck into a girl's bathroom to try to get you! Where are you, and what happened!?"  
  
{8:05...!} Bill shook his head and stood up. {There's no time for me to explain. I've got to find Robin!}  
  
As he ran about behind the stage, he listened to Penny's song.  
  
"A week without you  
Thought I'd forget  
Two weeks without you and I  
Still haven't gotten over you yet...  
  
"Vacation -- all I ever wanted  
Vacation -- had to get away  
Vacation -- meant to be spent alone  
  
"Vacation -- all I ever wanted  
Vacation -- had to get away  
Vacation -- meant to be spent alone..."  
  
There was a musical interlude before Penny repeated. She was nearing the end of her song, which meant that Bill was low on time. He had to find Robin before she went out on stage!  
  
Unfortunately, the back was crowded with people and equipment, and from a Wigglytuff's view point, he couldn't see a Ho-oh if one happened to be in the crowd.  
  
And even worse, the song just ended. The crowd on the other side of the curtain burst into cheers.  
  
{Great,} Bill muttered to himself in sarcasm before he stopped. An idea came into his mind. {Perhaps there's still time!}  
  
He pushed through, just near the end of the curtain. He peered out, just as he saw Robin and her crew setting up. Three Drowzee got in place in front of her as the crew finished setting up.  
  
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you a crowd favorite -- Robin Valentine, with Duvet Cyberia!"*4* the announcer called out with enthusiasm.  
  
An odd beat and tune flowed out of the speakers. Bill stood in the wing, watching to see what was about to happen. Robin took a deep breath and began the vocal part of the song.  
  
"I am falling  
I am fading  
I am down, and  
Help me to breathe  
I am hurting  
I have lost it all  
I am losing  
Help me to breathe..."  
  
Bill looked at the Drowzee and immediately looked away with a startled gasp. That wasn't any ordinary dance they were performing... It was part of an attack! Hypnosis!  
  
He moved to glance up at a large screen behind Robin. There, the Drowzee were pictured, still dancing, still putting their unsuspecting audience under their control.  
  
{So that's what Jude meant by "sabotage"!} Bill looked at Robin. {I'll have to put an end to this!}  
  
He stopped, realizing that he couldn't just rush out there. He could be caught up in the psychic tactics himself. He had to do something first to stop the Drowzee from using Hypnosis. But what...?  
  
He looked up to see lights above the stage. His eyes drifted to a catwalk nearby, then to a ladder leading to the catwalk. Another idea came to his mind...  
  
Robin was getting into the second verse as Bill pushed through the crowd back stage before climbing up the ladder. As she sang on, he carefully made his way to a stage light above a spot directly behind Robin a few steps. She went into the chorus as he backed up and rammed himself against the light with Body Slam. It was loose, but it didn't fall.  
  
A musical interlude came. As Robin and her Drowzee danced, she spoke to the audience.  
  
"When you all awake, you will all be under my control... at my disposal... at all times. You will serve--"  
  
At this point, Bill used another Body Slam, throwing himself at the light with all he had. The nuts that secured it popped out and fell to the stage along with the light itself. The Drowzee stopped, startled by the sudden crash and losing control of their audience, allowing to simply slip into slumber. Apparently, the people back stage did so as well, also effected by the Drowzee's hypnotic powers.  
  
"Who did that!?" Robin demanded as the music stopped. "Who was the idiot who let the light fall!?"  
  
Bill tiptoed back to the ladder, but, unfortunately, just as he was almost there, he slipped and fell off the catwalk, plummeting towards the stage and landing with a loud thump.  
  
He moaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. {I'm never doing THAT again...}  
  
"You!" Robin yelled, spotting Bill. "So, the little shifter wants to play again!"  
  
Bill stood up. {I won't let you control these helpless people! As a shifter, it's my duty to protect them from people like you!}  
  
"I've heard enough from you, pinky!" Robin snapped. "You stole my spotlight, and I'll make you pay for it! Go, my psychic servants! Put him under our control! I want to have a little fun with him later!"  
  
The three Drowzee turned to him and lifted their hands, preparing to use Hypnosis all at the same time. But before they could, Bill had another thing in mind. He opened his mouth and used Sing, praying that it would put the Drowzee to sleep before they did so to him.  
  
Luckily, someone in Heaven was looking out for him, and two of the Drowzee dropped to the polished wood of the stage, sound asleep. As for the other Drowzee, it remained unphased and attempted to use Hypnosis on Bill. He looked away and blindly used Pound, only managing to graze the Drowzee.  
  
"Jake! Get him!" Robin ordered.  
  
{Jake? What an unusual name for a Pokémon,} Bill commented as he went for Drowzee with another Pound.  
  
Jake dodged it and replied, {It isn't such a weird name if you're not a Pokémon.}  
  
Jake aimed his own Pound at Bill. The Wigglytuff dodged.  
  
{So you're a shifter?} Bill concluded. {Why do you bother serving someone like Robin?}  
  
Bill rushed forward, trying to use Body Slam, but only missed and tumbled a few feet away until he was flat on his back on the stage. Jake put one foot on Bill's stomach and stared straight into his eyes.  
  
{Why wouldn't I?} Jake inquired. {She promised to give me fame and fortune.}  
  
Jake prepared to use Hypnosis, only to be struck in the face by Bill's Pound. Jake stumbled back, and soon, both shifters were back on their feet.  
  
{Don't you know that's a lie?} Bill asked. {Robin won't give you anything except grief! There will not be any satisfaction in your life unless you do the right thing -- use your powers to help people, rather than to harm them like you have with all these people.} He stopped to motion at the sleeping crowd.  
  
{I'm not harming them,} Jake countered as he used Pound again. {Besides, the right thing! Hmph! Robin told me you were into clichés...}  
  
Bill took the hit and retaliated with Doubleslap, after which he backed away.  
  
{Doing the right thing is not a cliché,} he said.  
  
{Whatever,} Jake muttered. {Be a good guy. They always say that good guys finish last anyways.}  
  
Jake's eyes flared up as he began to try Hypnosis again. Bill immediately shut his eyes and opened his mouth, attempting another Sing. The two fought with sleep attack versus sleep attack until one of them fell.  
  
Bill slowly opened his eyes to see Jake, fast asleep, a few feet in front of him. He grinned in victory, but immediately stopped and frowned.  
  
{I'm sorry, Jake,} he murmured. {I can tell you were only misled by Robin.}  
  
Suddenly, he heard a frustrated scream. He turned around to see Robin, shaking her head vigorously.  
  
"No, no, no, no!" she yelled. "This isn't supposed to happen! Damn you, Bill McKenzie! You haven't heard the last of me!"  
  
With that, she teleported away, leaving her sleeping underlings behind. Bill turned back to them to see Zero standing among them. She smiled at him.  
  
"You fought well, dear Angel," she complimented. "Using the Cosmos Stone, I've purified these poor souls and sent them back to their respective bodies. There's no need to worry about them."  
  
{Thank you, Zero,} Bill responded before pausing. {...Lady Aigori.}  
  
"It doesn't matter now; you may call me what you wish," she told him gently. "But Bill... Don't fear for the future. No matter what happens, I'll be watching you."  
  
He gave her a strange glance as she disappeared. He looked out towards the sleeping audience and gave a small cry.  
  
{Oh geez! I'd better shift back before they wake up!} Bill exclaimed to himself.  
  
With that, he shifted out.  
  
~~~  
  
"And because of Robin Valentine's mysterious absence, the winner of the contest is Penny McKenzie!" the announcer cried out, motioning to Penny, who stood proudly on stage. "As an encore performance, she'll sing her rendition of the oldie, 'Aitsu'! Here's your new teen idol, everyone!"  
  
The song began and the crowd erupted into wild cheers. In one of the wings, Bill and Jude stood, watching all this, with Jake and the other two shifters behind them.  
  
"You know, that wasn't a bad shift," Jude commented.  
  
Bill smiled at her. "Thank you."  
  
"And thanks for all you did to help us get a second chance," Jake said. "There's not much we can do to repay you, but I hope the three of us will come in handy for you sooner or later."  
  
Bill grinned and nodded at them. "I'm glad to hear that."  
  
With that, the five turned back to listen to Penny.  
  
"Nani o suru no mo aitsu no koto kangaete shimatte boku ga  
Aitsu de ippai ni naru  
Tonikaku ima wa aitsu ga ite kurenai to boku wa nanimo dekinai  
Aitsu ga boku no naki ni...  
Iru iru iru iru iru iru iru!"*5*  
  
"You know," Bill said as he listened to Penny's song. "Perhaps a part of Wigglytuff is still in me, or perhaps it's this song, but Penny doesn't seem that annoying anymore..."  
  
"Or maybe you liked her all along," Jude suggested, obviously joking.  
  
'Hmm. Maybe,' Bill thought as Penny's song ended and she took her bows.  
  
~~~  
  
It was nighttime. Lady Aigori*6* sat alone, on a rock in the middle of her lake. She was waiting for something...  
  
Suddenly, a Moltres lit up the sky, surrounded by several Charizards. On the Moltres' back, Jeremiah sat, smiling down at Lady Aigori with a mischievous glance.  
  
"I know why you came here," Lady Aigori said quietly.  
  
"Really? Why's that, Aigori?" Jeremiah inquired.  
  
Lady Aigori looked down at the waters. "You want to take me away again."  
  
"Very good." Jeremiah held out his hand. "Do you want to go willingly?"  
  
Lady Aigori stared up at him with a deep gaze for several minutes before shaking her head.  
  
"Too bad," Jeremiah snapped as he whipped out a ball.  
  
He threw this ball at Lady Aigori. It struck her and turned into two golden loops that wrapped around her, binding her arms and legs. She gave a small yelp as one of the Charizards picked her up and carried her away, following the Moltres and the other Charizards.  
  
Reno ran forward, panting after running all the way up the mountain to reach Aigori's Spring. He watched in dismay as the fire Pokémon left, carrying the white-clad girl in their claws.  
  
"Lady Aigori," he mumbled. "Another piece of the prophecy is fufilled. I've got to tell the Prime!"  
  
He whipped out the PokéBall containing Dragonite and turned to face the northeast.  
  
"We have so little time left," Reno muttered before summoning Dragonite and riding off into the night.  
  
***  
  
End episode 22*7*  
  
---  
Footnotes:  
  
*1*: As you can see, Bill's not too fond of Penny. ^_^; (I took him out of character for a bit there, but he's not even supposed to REMOTELY like her.) And by the way, the "good_times" is in reference to a computer virus. ^_^  
  
*2*: As in, British Valley Girl. Yep. I know. Ouch. THAT'S an insult to Great Britain...  
  
*3*: Yep. It's "Vacation" by the Go-Gos. (I'm not that great at writing decent songs, so I just borrowed from real songs. ^_^;)  
  
*4*: This would be the theme song to Serial Experiments Lain (one hell of an anime, I must add). I have no shame. ^_^;  
  
*5*: "Aitsu" by dicot, also the beginning theme to the anime GALS! (It's supposed to be a joke. Penny, if she was in Japan, would be a kogal/gal, especially since she's modeled after kogal extraordinaire and main character of GALS!, Kotobuki Ran. ^_^) Yep. Didn't feel like translating the lyrics. But if you're really wondering what they say, it's, "No matter what I try to do, I always end up thinking of her./I'm crazy about that Gal./The way things are now, I can't operate unless she's by my side./That Gal has taken over/My mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind!" (Thanks to AnimeLyrics.com for that!) It's not supposed to be a reference to homosexuality; that's just what the song says. (Eh. A girl sings it, though. Go figure. =/)  
  
*6*: Yes, since now the focus character is calling her this, so will the narrator. ^_^  
  
*7*: And thus ends the episode that was put on hold for so long. ^_^; I apologize again for all the hiatuses. As for the episode itself, it would have been longer and a bit more interesting (building upon Bill and Penny's relationship), but I kinda got sidetracked and wound up with this. =/ Sorry! ^_^; 


	4. Christmas Joys

Foreword: First off, I must say I apologize for the incredibly long hiatus. Unfortunately, due to various reasons that will be explained in my bio, it won't be over. Then again, good things come to those who wait, right?

Also, I have an announcement to make. If I can finish this fanfiction off with this season, I will. Right now, I'm rewriting my plans and trimming episodes off, which means that there probably _won't_ be a movie, and this will be the very last season.

Not only this, but you should also note a change of style. First, I've actually started spell checking my work (cough), and second, I've simply made an effort to improve upon my writing. I hope to give Apollo, Artemis, Ash, and everyone else better characterizations, not to mention something far more interesting to do. Bill will play less of a role, and the question of why Ash is in the fanfiction at all should be answered (hopefully).

I would have left this fanfiction for dead, but there _are_ people who like it and have supported me throughout all this time, so I owe it to them to at least tell what happens to Warp.

Also, please note that because QuickEdit is a piece of fodder that just had to touch my symbols Pokémon speech is now denoted with double colons ( :: ) around them. Likewise, the triple hyphens that used to separate the foreword from the chapter ( --- ) are now being used as scene separators, and the foreword is above a single, solid line. Lastly, the footnote numbers are now in parentheses, rather than asterisks. Blame FFNet for going down the crapper on this one.

That said…

* * *

Episode 23—  
Christmas Joys

"Do you have any idea how crazy this is?" a sharp voice chided him over the phone. "Listen, High Rise Circle could be anywhere or anything at anytime. And do you know who they're after? _All_ of us. Do you really think it's wise to—"

Bill mentally sighed as he leaned back on the bench. He listened to Artemis carry on over his cell phone (on a collect call from the latter, no less) as he watched people mill about in the train station with mild interest. Jude sat next to him and nodded off every so often, only to be awakened by several occasions where she nearly fell off the bench. After one last such event, she yawned, stretched her arms, and glanced at her brother.

"Still going?" she inquired.

The elder closed his eyes and nodded slowly. It was obvious a small part of him wanted to hang up, another really didn't care either way, and the last was worried about how much this collect call would wind up costing him.

"And _another_ thing!" Artemis snapped. "Who do you think you are, leaving _us_ in charge of _your_ lighthouse while you went off on '_holiday_' to your folks' home!?"

If Bill was a simpler minded creature, he would have shot back that the Sneasel was the only one who objected to being left to tend the lighthouse while the McKenzie siblings were gone.

"Do you have _any_ idea how stupid of an idea leaving Ash in charge of _anything_ is!?" Artemis questioned.

In the background, the distant voice of Ash Ketchum responded, "I heard that!"

"Yeah, well, it's possibly the worst idea you've come up with since tofu-based Pokémon food!" the watcher insulted. "I mean, geez! Do you have any idea the sort of damage Ash will—"

At this point, Jude grabbed the phone off of Bill and hung up. Bill merely stared blankly at her as she turned the phone off and it in his lap. With a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes and put her arms behind her head.

"Well, _some_body had to do it," she muttered.

---

Back in the lighthouse, the albino Sneasel sat on the table supporting the video phone. Apollo watched in half-amusement as his watcher rambled on through a Bellsprout-shaped receiver that was almost literally his size. Ash, meanwhile, muttered something about lousy weasels as he continued to sweep the hard, tiled floors framing the red carpeting of the front hall under Ziggy's watchful eye.

"Do you have any idea the sort of damage Ash will do within the next couple of weeks!?" Artemis finished.

Ash stiffened and gritted his teeth. He usually loved Pokémon (except for Team Rocket's) and wouldn't willingly hurt one, but in Artemis' case, exceptions could be made.

At long last, there was a pause. Ash had hoped that it was Bill trying to reply with something to defend the young trainer, but unfortunately, luck (nor Bill, for that matter) wasn't on his side. Artemis flinched as nothing but a single tone indicating that the person on the other line decided to hang up reached his sensitive ear.

"Hello?" Artemis hissed into the receiver. "Hello!? Hey! I'm not done with you yet!"

Ziggy took her eyes off Ash for a moment to throw a look at Artemis.

"You know, you should really leave him alone," she told him. "Bill's had it rough lately. He deserves a break. Same thing with Jude."

Artemis whirled to face her. "And what about us!?"

"Duty is my vacation," Apollo replied flatly.

"I'd be perfectly fine if you weren't insulting me every five seconds," Ash added with a frown.

"This _is_ my break," Ziggy finished with a slight frown.

Artemis stood where he was, just a bit dumbfounded. "…Am I the only one in need of a vacation from this place?"

His three companions looked at each other for a moment, then back at the Sneasel. With short nods, they gave their reply.

"Yep."

The Sneasel growled a bit before stiffening. A strange sensation ran down his spine, and he knew immediately what to do about it. He looked at Ziggy, who had shut her eyelids for a moment as if she was listening. And indeed she was – to the exact same message Artemis had heard moments before. After awhile, she finally opened her eyes and looked at her fellow watcher.

"You got the message too, huh?" he queried.

She nodded. "Yeah. Who would've thought. Of all people…"

Ash and Apollo looked at each other with curious glances before finally turning to Ziggy and Artemis.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, mainly to Ziggy.

Ziggy grinned. "You both have a shift. Really big one, too. Someone important's asking for you two specifically."

"Who?" Apollo inquired.

The hologram winked. "I'll tell you later. Just go."

Ash gave her a puzzled look, but nevertheless, he followed Apollo out.

---

Jude was drifting in and out as she listened to the train clack along the Kanto countryside. She sat on the soft, red seat as she stared out the window at the trees whisking by. Every so often, she'd be able to spot a Primeape, with its fur fluffy and coated with a thin layer of snow, napping in the branches of its selected tree. Jude glanced at her brother and opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly turned it into a draw of breath when she saw his expression. He was across from her in the car they shared with his head leaning against the cool window. His eyelids were at half-mast, and it was obvious he was half asleep as well.

All of a sudden, a beeping noise shattered the quiet of the car. Jude jumped and looked around with flustered eyes for a moment before she realized what it was. Quickly, she rose to her feet to pull her backpack down from the rack above her head. Still standing, she unzipped one of the pockets as Bill stood to look over her shoulder. With a quick motion, Jude pulled out her COM device and pressed a button. In moments, Ziggy's voice came over it.

"Hey, Jude!" she greeted. "Listen, Ash was called in for a shift, but I'll take care of it for you. And just to let you know, I want the both of you to have a good time in Goldenrod City, so I'll watch over all of Ash's shifts."

"Ziggy, what's up with this shift, if you don't mind me asking?" Jude asked.

"Well, it's going to be pretty interesting," Ziggy replied. "You see, Ash and Apollo shifted into these two Stantler belonging to San—"

At this point Bill took Jude's COM device off his sister's hands and shut it off. He raised an eyebrow at her as he handed it back without a word. Jude smirked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Touché," she muttered.

---

Ash opened his eyes and found himself in the darkness. That wasn't the only thing he noticed. He also noted that the place he was in was cold. _Bitter_ cold.

::Hey, Apollo!:: he called out softly. ::Where are you?::

The smell of hay and unwashed animals filled his nostrils. Ash gagged a bit as he crawled forward in attempt to find his fellow shifter. At least he knew one thing: he had four legs.

::Apollo?:: Ash shouted again.

Grunts and snorts filled the room. Apparently, Ash had awakened those around him. For this, he felt a hoof connect with his front leg. His leg buckled under him, and before he could stop himself, he was sent crashing into the floor. Ash groaned a bit as he saw a flicker of red light in front of his eyes. At this point, he was far too dazed to really recognize its source.

At long last, he felt another hoof nudge his side. Quickly, he covered his head with his front feet, only to realize two things: that he had hooves too and that behind these hooves (on his head, to be more precise) were a pair of antlers.

::Get away from me!:: Ash screamed, expecting the hoof to come crashing down on him.

::Ash?:: the other being whispered. ::Calm down.::

Slowly, Ash put all of his hooves on the dirt floor and hoisted the rest of his body up until he was standing.

::Apollo?:: Ash questioned.

::You make quite an entrance,:: he commented. ::Thanks to you, the others are awake.::

::The other what?:: Ash asked.

"Stantler."

Ash and Apollo turned towards the source of the voice. They could hear Artemis, but in the darkness, they couldn't _see_ him.

::Artemis? What's up?:: Ash inquired.

"Simple," Artemis responded. "You've entered the bodies of Stantler. One of nine, in fact. Do the names Rudolph and Dasher ring a bell?"

::Anyone could name their Pokémon that,:: Apollo pointed out.

At that moment, Ziggy's voice floated through the barn. "True, but how many Pokémon work for a certain someone in red?"

::Carmen Sandiego?:: Ash guessed.

"What!?" Ziggy twitched in the darkness. "No! Geez. Sometimes I wonder…" She paused to sigh. "I was talking about _Santa Claus_."

Ash felt his face turn hot under a layer of fur. He shifted uncomfortably as embarrassment set in.

::Oh,:: he mumbled. ::I knew that.::

Ziggy ignored him and continued. "Like I said, the two of you will be working with Santa Claus throughout this shift. You see, he used to have a team of Rapidash(1) pull his sleigh, but most of the team have fallen ill at the last minute. It will take all of his Stantler to carry his sleigh to each house on Christmas, but the team isn't exactly up to it, morale-wise, if you know what I mean. It's your job to boost the team's confidence and get the journey started."

::If that is our complete mission, then this will surely be an easy task,:: Apollo noted.

"Well, there's just a bit more," Artemis inputted. "The person who called on you knows that a naughty little someone has been plotting to attack the team sometime soon."

::The person who called on us?:: Apollo queried. ::Do you mean Lady Aigori?::

Ziggy shook her head. "No, actually, he means Santa Claus himself."

There was a long pause among the four of them as both of the shifters allowed this idea to sink in for a bit.

"Well, that's about all the time we have right now, so we're signing off," Artemis announced in a corny game show host voice. "Good night, and good luck!"

With that, both Ziggy and Artemis left the Stantler alone in peace.

---

Ash slowly awoke where he had left himself the night before: lying between two Stantler in the bitter cold on a bed of straw. He felt the warmth of the bodies around him and decided he wouldn't move just yet. After all, what harm could a little more sleep do?

His relaxation, however, was interrupted as the wooden door to the barn slid open rapidly to reveal a Jynx with a whip in her right hand just behind it. With her came a blast of frigid air that quickly filled every empty space it could find. Every Stantler's eyes shot fully open as each Pokémon scrambled to his feet as he mooed in protest. Soon, all nine Stantler stood shoulder to shoulder as they shivered in chill. The Jynx ignored this and walked forward, tapping the palm of her left hand with the handle of the whip. She carried herself like a drill sergeant as she examined each Pokémon with a pair of narrow eyes.

::As you all know,:: she said, ::Christmas is a mere day away. Yesterday's performance was far from acceptable, so we will spend all of Christmas Eve _trying again_. You will pull the practice sleigh until you get it _right_. We have _no_ room for mistakes this year, so I had better see some improvement.::

As she spoke, three more Jynx hurried in with silver trays topped with three covered bowls each. Carefully, each Jynx took each bowl and placed it in front of a Stantler and removed each cover. Ash's mouth watered as he glanced down to see the steaming vegetable soup sitting in front of him. _Any_ sort of food would have satisfied him at that point; he hadn't had anything to eat since the day before.

The head Jynx waited for the others to place the bowl covers on their trays and hurry out. As soon as they were gone, she continued.

::After breakfast, you will all report to the field,:: she instructed them. ::I will be waiting with the practice sleigh loaded and ready to go, and I will be _very_ disappointed if I don't see you out there in a half an hour. Do you all understand?::

::Yes, ma'am!:: each Stantler responded in unison.

Jynx gave a content nod. ::Good. I'll leave you to your meals. Remember, though. _One hour_.::

At last, she turned, walked through the threshold of the barn, and closed the wooden door behind her.

::Prissy little humanshape,:: one of the Stantler muttered.

Another gasped. ::Blitzen, careful! She might be listening!::

Blitzen scoffed, ::Let her listen. See if I care.::

With that, he lowered his head to eat some of the soup. Ash did the same, lapping it up with his Stantler tongue. He was rather disappointed to find that it had turned cold thanks to the gusts of winter air that came in while Jynx was lecturing them.

::I think we should listen to her.::

In the corner of his eye, Ash saw another Stantler – apparently the one Apollo had taken over – standing stiffly. He hadn't touched his soup, and quite frankly, Ash wanted to know if he could have Apollo's bowl.

Blitzen's head rose again. ::Dasher, are you _mad_? You know what she does to us! And weren't you the one who said we should go on strike because of her?::

Thankfully, Apollo ignored him. ::All the children of the world are counting on us to help Santa deliver Christmas gifts. It would be wrong to disappoint them all. Jynx is simply trying to make us do our job. We are needed to perform a single task, and she wants to see to it that it is completed. How could she be so cruel if she urges us to deliver the happiness of others?::

::Obviously, Dasher has lost his head,:: yet another Stantler murmured.

Ash licked his bowl clean and looked around for more.

::Hey, Rudolph! What's your opinion on this?::

Ash's head swiveled around so he could face the Stantler right beside him. He didn't know the name of that particular Stantler, but he _did_ know that if Apollo was Dasher, and if Ziggy had told them they had taken over Dasher and Rudolph, then Ash had to be Rudolph. He reminded himself to test out the glowing nose bit _later_.

::Uh, um…:: Ash searched for the right words but couldn't find them. ::I… don't know.::

The Stantler snorted. ::Figures. Pretty boys don't have much going for them in the intelligence department.::

::Hey!:: Ash began.

The other Stantler, save for Apollo, simply ignored him and bent their heads down into their soup bowls.

::Don't worry about them, Rudolph,:: Apollo told Ash in an effort to console him.

With that, Apollo bent his head down, leaving Ash to just stare blankly into the semi-darkness.

---

The sky was still dark over the field of snow. Of course it would be. The sun of the North Pole always played with the horizon in the winter. It knew better than to rise over such a frigid, almost desolate land. It wasn't that Jynx minded this exactly. She felt right at home in her element, surrounded by pristine snow and subzero temperatures. She was hardly shivering.

With half interested eyes, she lifted her head and watched her superior's nine Stantler drag themselves towards the sled. She smiled with the last expression a person would be happy to see as she turned towards the sled.

::Alright, you! Line up according to rank!:: she ordered. ::You know the drill! Rudolph in front, with the elder Stantler behind him and the youngest in the back.:: She lifted the leather straps attached to the front of the sled before realizing no one else was moving. ::What are you waiting for!? _Next_ Christmas!? Get over here!::

With several groans, each Stantler shuffled forward and lined up the way they knew how. Ash went in front with Apollo and Dancer just behind him. Naturally, the others followed suit. Without a word, Jynx harnessed each Stantler until all of them were ready to pull the sled. Satisfied, she sauntered over to the back and hopped onto the wood of the sleigh. Earlier, she had placed her whip near where she now sat, and sure enough, there it was, waiting for her. With a sly grin, she picked its handle up and cracked it over the heads of the Stantler.

::Mush!:: she cried. ::Let's get going!::

Ash threw himself against the bonds of the leather straps, but the sled was hard to move. Each Stantler put their weight into their work, but for awhile, it didn't seem to pay off. At last, everyone felt the lurch of the sled beginning to slide forward. Happy at this, Ash led the team into picking up the speed until the sleigh was finally moving at a good speed.

Then, Jynx snapped her whip again. ::Ascend!::

The youngest shifter was a bit flustered by this command, but soon, he understood. The Stantler behind him jerked upward, and he had no choice but to follow, pushing off the ground and kicking his legs desperately in mid-air. He wobbled awkwardly as he led the train into the inky sky. He shut his eyes tightly for a moment to keep himself from looking down, which only threw him off even more. It didn't help him when he noticed the rest of the lines drooping behind him.

He heard the whip crack the air again.

::What is wrong with you, Rudolph!?:: Jynx snapped. ::Straighten yourself! And the rest of you! Up! If I have to use Ice Punch, I will!::

Slowly, Ash opened his eyes again and groaned, as did the other Stantler. Carefully, he forced himself to straighten his body so that the straps were untwisted. He and the others struggled to increase their altitude by kicking their legs harder. Slowly and surely, Ash was getting the hang of it, though the rest of the train reluctantly saved him several times as he continued to drop suddenly now and then.

Alright. Flying was easy enough. Ash only wondered why Jynx kept cracking her blasted whip over and over again.

::Rudolph! Shine your light and lead the way!:: she ordered.

A feeling of panic rose in Ash. How was he supposed to do _that_?

::Easier said than done,:: Ash mumbled.

Nevertheless, he tried. He focused his energy into his nose and finding a way to "flip a switch" to make it glow. At first, nothing happened as he led the train around a curve and back over the field. Then, nothing happened as they galloped over the workshop. Still nothing happened as they turned a curve again and galloped back. All the while, Jynx cracked her whip in the air, and Ash noted that her aim was getting closer and closer to his shoulder.

Finally, after several minutes of doing nothing but flying in midair, his nose flickered. With a short gasp, Ash tried again, and this time, the light stayed for a few seconds longer. He heard Jynx's whip above him and tried one more time.

This time, the red light from his nose blazed and lingered. With a triumphant laugh, Ash picked up the speed, pulling the convoy (most of whom only wanted to rest) into a faster flight around the field and back to the workshop. Little did he know that he was only making the train into a moving target.

Suddenly, however, he learned. A tower of flames erupted from the ground Ash was just about to pass over. Startled, he jerked the team to the right, but it was too late. The fire caught the leather strap between himself and Dancer and grew quickly as the procession began to panic. Before anyone knew it, the entire unit, sled and all, descended like a comet as the flames rushed across the leather harnesses. Each Stantler cried out in pain and fear as Jynx screamed and held on for dear life. Within seconds, their fall was broken by the soft snow beneath them. The leather straps were smoldering, the sled was broken, Jynx was unconscious, and most of the Stantler remained where they were in exhaustion. Ash and Apollo, however, forced themselves to their hooves to find out where the jet came from.

They didn't have to travel far, however. The source came to _them_.

Steam hissed beneath the feet of the three Pokémon as they came closer and closer. Eventually, they towered over the team of Stantler as wide grins crossed their faces. Ash stumbled backwards as he eyed the Charizard and the two Magmar that flanked him. This situation certainly didn't seem good in his eyes.

::So, we meet, Warp,:: the Charizard began. ::Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jeremiah, fire master of High Rise Circle. These are my associates, Gabriel and Joseph. I believe they will keep you company while I proceed to take over Master Claus' workshop.::

With that, he turned away and began walking towards the nearby building. Ash, meanwhile, stumbled towards him, only to be blocked by one of the Magmar.

::What do you want with Santa's workshop!?:: Ash demanded.

Jeremiah chuckled. ::Silly boy. Think! What's in the workshop?::

Ash's eyes widened at this statement. ::You can't take the gifts! They're supposed to bring happiness to the world!::

The rest of the team perked up a little as the thought of the children crossed their minds. They looked at each other, finally realizing that it was _their_ job to spread joy in the holiday season. It was something that was told to them over and over again, but it wasn't until that concept truly _was_ threatened that they saw it. And when they saw the passion in their comrade to carry this mission out, each of them suddenly felt a spark of inspiration.

Jeremiah laughed. ::Oh, honestly. What made you think I wanted to _stop_ you from delivering the gifts? You _will_, but each one will bear a message from High Rise Circle. Soon, every child will respond to our call!::

::What!?:: Ash yelled in a startled voice. ::You can't do that!::

::Oh, I can,:: Jeremiah replied with a chuckle. ::You just watch me. Or better yet… Minions! Take care of them!::

With that, Jeremiah turned and began making his way towards the workshop. Ash tried to follow, but a stream of fire blocked his path. One of the Magmar rounded on him with a flaming fist, prepared to strike. The Stantler backed away slowly, not knowing whether to just run around him to get to Jeremiah or fight the Magmar.

All of a sudden, though, his decision was made. One of the Stantler rammed into Magmar's side. Caught off guard, the Magmar found himself flying into the snow. His fist was driven into the snow, which quickly melted to extinguish the flames on his knuckles. Ash's gaze went from the Magmar to the Stantler. It certainly didn't look like the one Apollo was occupying.

::Sorry about not introducing myself before,:: he apologized. ::I'm Jake. I figured the two of you were in trouble, so I came to help.::

Ash tilted his head in confusion. ::You're a shifter too?::

::Oh yeah,:: Jake replied. ::There's a lot more of us than you think. But listen, I'll help the other shifter hold off these Magmar while you go stop Jeremiah.::

Ash blinked for a moment but stood his ground. ::Wait! Why are you helping us?::

::Let's just say a friend of yours did a favor for _me_,:: Jake answered with a wink. ::Now go!::

Of course, Ash didn't need to be told twice.

---

"My dear, there is no need to worry."

Ziggy sighed. This was hopeless. Still, she remained where she was, sitting upon the mahogany desk of the tidy office on the top floor of the workshop. Her green eyes stared with mild interest at the impossibly long list, which her elder, chubbier, and jollier companion was going over one last time.

"I am aware of everything you just told me," he added. "Now, let's see… Timmy Johnson was a nice boy this year…"

Ziggy closed her eyes and tried again. "Listen, you need to get out of here _quickly_, Santa. These Pokémon are dangerous!"

Santa didn't even look up from his work as he replied, "There is no need."

Ziggy's eyes shot open as she looked over her shoulder at him again. "Why do you keep saying that!?"

At last, Santa looked up and smiled beneath his snow-white beard. His eyes glittered, and his wrinkles creased.

"Zigurat Alpha," he addressed. "Do you have faith in your friends?"

Ziggy looked at him with a curious glance, but before she could say anything, an explosion rocked the house. Both Santa and Ziggy stood and walked towards the door of the office. As soon as Santa opened it, the two of them knew what was wrong.

Down below on the factory floor, Jynx were scrambling about in panic. A Charizard had blown the door to bits with one Dragon Rage, and he wasn't about to stop. He stomped inside, tilted his head back, and roared loudly to intimidate everyone around him.

"Oh no!" Ziggy gasped. "It's too late!"

Santa merely grinned. "Have faith, Zigurat."

Before she could question him again, she spotted something brown coming through the doorway. At last, she smiled.

::Hey, you!:: Ash called out.

Jeremiah whirled around. ::How did you get past my Magmar!?::

Ash merely snorted and pawed at the ground. His head was lowered and ready.

::So, I see you want to fight,:: Jeremiah muttered. ::Alright then. I'll give you a fight.::

With that, he opened his jaws wide as sparks of fire formed in the back of his throat. Moments later, a jet of flames flew out of his mouth and straight towards Ash. The Stantler dodged by jumping to the left before rushing towards the Charizard. Quickly, Ash threw his entire body into that of his opponent in an attempt to knock him off his feet. The attack did its job, but it didn't do much more. Jeremiah stood up not long after as if nothing had happened, only to exhale flames once again on Ash. The Stantler gritted his teeth as the flames burned his flesh, but he refused to scream or give up. Instead, he stood up once again.

::Well, at least you aren't the boring type your leader is,:: Jeremiah commented. ::By now, he would have surely gone into his lecture about how it's better to work for the side of good.::

::It _is_!:: Ash responded.

::Oh, please,:: Jeremiah hissed as he rolled his eyes. ::There is no good or bad. There is just power. In fact, let me show you.::

Again, Jeremiah blasted Ash with a Flamethrower. Still, the Stantler refused to give in.

::You see? You couldn't beat me if you tried,:: the Charizard stated. ::Let me show you again!::

Jeremiah inhaled deeply and blew out another stream of flames that once again engulfed Ash. Ziggy trembled. She knew that another strike would bring Ash to his knees. All this fire was inflicting more damage than Ash could have stood. Jeremiah knew this and poured all his might into the flames for awhile until he let them die off. What he saw, however, surprised him.

Ash was still standing. The only difference was that between him and Jeremiah, a brilliant screen of light stood. It was this new wall that kept Ash from taking severe damage all along, but only now did it shimmer with its golden brilliance.

At that moment, both Magmar stumbled into the workshop. Jeremiah turned to them and grinned.

::Ah! Good! I see you've taken care of the other Stantler,:: he said. ::Now, take care of this last one. Combine your powers and blow him away!::

They simply stood there, staring at their master. At this, Jeremiah's anger increased.

::What are you standing around there for!?:: he demanded. ::Do as I say and take out this last shifter!::

In response, both Magmar fell forward. Both had fainted, and behind them were eight Stantler, ready to fight. Jeremiah backed away as the Stantler team, now accompanied by Ash, advanced.

::Good work, Ash,:: Apollo complimented out loud. ::You've held Jeremiah at bay long enough for us to get together.::

::Now, let's show our guest what _real_ teamwork can do!:: Jake added. ::What do you say, guys?::

The other Stantler didn't need to reply. Each of them lowered their heads as the bulbs on their horns began to glow with a bright red color. Psychic waves rippled through the air at Jeremiah as the Stantler surrounded him. There was no escape. He was caught in the middle of it all moments before he could even realize what they were doing.

In moments, he fell to the ground in slumber.

The Jynx in the workshop erupted in cheers as the Stantler gathered in triumph and looked up at their master. Santa merely nodded and extended his right arm over the edge of the platform he stood on. Slowly, he uncurled the fingers of his balled fist to reveal a blue powder. He blew on this and watched it descend upon the Magmar and the Charizard.

"May the spell on you be broken," he murmured to them.

Ziggy turned her head to him. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

Her companion smiled. "Zigurat, I know everything."

"Of course," Ziggy replied with a chuckle as she watched the sparks of her friends ascend into the sky.

There was a long pause between them as they watched the commotion below. At last, Santa turned to Ziggy one last time.

"Ziggy, to reply to something else you said to me earlier," he stated, "I can give everyone else their Christmas gifts without a problem, but your Christmas wish may be a bit difficult. You will only get to experience it for a short time."

Ziggy's smile faded away as a saddened expression crossed her face.

"I see," she whispered. "But… I only want a few minutes. It should be enough."

"In that case," he said, "Christmas is almost here."

At that point, the bells of a grandfather clock signaled the truth of this fact. Ziggy understood perfectly.

---

In a room made of black marble, Keios paced. He glanced up now and then at the glowing cage that contained Lady Aigori, who merely smiled sweetly at him. He snorted and continued to pace.

At that moment, Lucius entered the room through the large, mahogany doors. Keios whirled around and started towards the young human.

"You lost a _master_," Keios sneered. "Jeremiah would have been a great ally to us, but you allowed him to be taken so soon."

"Jeremiah, as was the spell that held him, was weak," Lucius scoffed.

Enraged by this comment, Keios reared back as a ball of black energy formed in his hand. When it grew to be a considerable size, he thrust his hand downward, throwing the ball into the floor near Lucius. It exploded, throwing Lucius off his feet and a distance away. Lucius shook off the pain and trembled at the demonstration. Keios, meanwhile, straightened up and glared at his subject.

"If I were you," Keios growled, "I would be wary of what I said to beings far more powerful than myself."

Lucius nodded. "Of course. My mistake, Master. I will see to it that the others strengthen themselves before challenging Warp again."

With that, Lucius scrambled to his feet and jogged out of the room. Keios watched him leave and frowned.

"Your subjects will never be completely loyal to you," Lady Aigori pointed out. "They may fear you, but someday, they will revolt."

"Silence!" Keios roared.

Lady Aigori merely smiled at him in defiance.

---

Artemis was waiting for them as soon as they shifted back. Ash and Apollo remained lying in the front hall for a long while before looking up at Artemis as the Sneasel stood over them with his paws behind his back.

"Well, merry Christmas," he greeted. "You both did excellently this shift. Santa is well on his way to making his rounds, and the Stantler are more than happy to help. And…"

He pulled three boxes from behind his back. Each were small, wrapped in white paper, tied with a red bow, and labeled with tags marked with each Warp member's name. Artemis handed two to Ash and Apollo before putting the third aside.

"One of the Jynx said she was pretty happy that you came, so she wanted to give you these to help you along the way," Artemis explained. "There's one for the both of you, plus Bill… who is away at the moment because he's a slacker. But anyways, go ahead! Open them!"

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed with a wide smile plastered on his face.

Apollo watched in amusement as Ash ripped off the bow and paper like a rabid dog ripping off the flesh of a rabbit. After the last shred of paper was off of Ash's gift, Apollo neatly unwrapped his own.

Both had slim, white boxes, about the size of the cardboard boxes bracelets came in. The shifters opened these, only to find that they _did_ contain bracelets. Or, rather, slim, silver chains with a large, blue Cosmos Stone set into each of them. Underneath them was a simple note. Apollo pulled the one under his out, opened it, and read it aloud.

"Dear Warp," he began. "I'd like to thank you for all your help in protecting us all this past year. The road ahead will only get rougher, but hopefully, these will help. Use these to heal the other members of High Rise Circle. We all have faith in you."

"Who is it from?" Ash inquired.

"Isn't it obvious?" Apollo answered. "Santa."

---

Bill slowly opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep not long before in his old bedroom, in one corner of his parents' home. He felt warmer than usual, and in moments, he realized why. Someone was there with him.

He sat up in surprise and reached for the lamp on the bedside table. When he managed to click it on, he was even more startled to see Ziggy beside him. What's more, he reached out to touch her cheek, and his fingers brushed against soft, warm skin. She smiled and giggled for a moment before even attempting to explain.

"You missed a lot," she told him. "There's too much to explain, but let's just say I got to have a little wish granted. I can only stay like this for an hour, though, and it took ten minutes to finally get you to wake up. I… I wanted to talk to you."

Bill, of course, was at a loss for words. He merely stared at her as confused thoughts ran through his mind. He was almost convinced this was all some bizarre dream. He felt even more uncomfortable as Ziggy leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

"I wanted to see if you would like me if I was real," she explained. "I know I've been sarcastic to you since the day I was reactivated, but… I don't know how to say this. I really don't. But… remember that time you shifted into a Bellossom to help Zoe?"

Her creator had nothing more to reply with except a nod.

"Well, you know how I kind of felt annoyed by how much you were swooning over her?" Ziggy asked.

Again, Bill nodded slowly. He didn't have the faintest idea where this was going.

"Then, do you remember when I asked you if you would ever think of me the way you thought about Zoe?"

At that point, the uneasy feeling grew inside Bill. He nodded again, though he wished this conversation would end. Ziggy, however, lifted her head from Bill's shoulder to look him in the eyes. He was a bit surprised by the gravity in her gaze.

"Can you answer that question now?" she inquired. "Now that I'm real, even for a moment… Do you…" She looked at her lap and tried to find a way to say something without being blunt for once. "…Do you love me?"

There was a long silence. A pang of despair entered Ziggy's heart as she stared into the face of her programmer. But Bill's head was bowed as he tried to come up with an acceptable response to her question. He didn't know what to say. Ever since he found out Zoe was taken, he hadn't been exactly willing to fall in love. Love was, in his opinion, a dangerous emotion, especially if that love was for someone other than a member of one's own family.

At last, he knew that the only acceptable response was honesty. He shook his head and mouthed the words "I'm sorry" to her.

Tears welled up in Ziggy's eyes, but she knew she couldn't start sobbing. Instead, she curled up next to Bill and muffled her tears in his pillow. He stared at her with great sympathy before laying his head next to hers. As he watched her cry, he wanted to say something, but there was nothing more to be said. He could only kick himself for knowing he broke her heart.

With that thought in mind, he reached up to turn the lamp out before putting an arm over Ziggy and falling asleep. Nothing more could be said.

---

End episode 23

* * *

Footnotes:

(1): See "Holiday Hi-Jynx."


End file.
